A motor vehicle is arranged with wiring harnesses for transmitting electrical power and signals for various types of electronic instruments. The wiring harnesses have various types of connectors. For example, FIGS. 7 and 8 show one of such electrical connectors disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2002-198127 (in FIGS. 4, 6, and Page 3 to 4 in the document). The connector is designated by numeral 61.
The connector 61 shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 has a first connector housing 63 accommodating a receptacle terminal 62 and a second connector housing 65 accommodating a male terminal 70. The first connector housing 63 has a male inner housing 64 and an outer hood 66 defining a rectangular shell. The inner housing 64 accommodates the receptacle terminal 62 and is received in the hood 66. The receptacle terminal 62 is locked by a front holder 69. The front holder 69 is made of a synthetic resin and attached to the inner housing 64. The inner housing 64 has a base in which a waterproof packing 71 is mounted.
The second connector housing 65 is cylindrical and accommodates a pin terminal 70. The second connector housing 65 is inserted between the inner housing 64 and the hood 66 on engagement of the connector housings 63, 65 with each other.
The connector 61 has looseness preventing protrusions 67. The looseness preventing protrusions 67 are unitarily formed in an inner surface of the hood 66 or in an outer surface of the second connector housing 65. In the illustrated example, the looseness preventing protrusions 67 are provided on an inner surface of the hood 66 such that the looseness preventing protrusion 67 protrudes from the inner surface of the hood 66.
On engagement of the connector housings 63, 65 with each other, the looseness preventing protrusion 67 of the connector 61 is pressed by the inner surface of the hood 66 or the outer surface of the second connector housing 65. This prevents the connector housings 63, 65 from vibrating relative to each other in a direction perpendicular to the engagement direction of the connector housings 63, 65. The prevention of the relative vibration of the connector housings 63, 65 prohibits relative displacements of the terminals 62, 70. This prevents fretting wear of contact pieces of the terminals 62, 70. Thus, the connector 61 is improved to provide reliable electrical connection of the terminals 62, 70.